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M a n s f i e l d U n i v e r s i t y C o n c e r t W i n d E n s e m b l e

D r. A d a m F. B r e n n a n , C o n d u c t o r

1. Symphonic Overture Southern Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Barnes (b. 1949) 9:30

2. O Magnum Mysterium Peer Music . . . . . Morten Lauridsen (b. 1943)/arr. Reynolds 5:55Ms. Julia Federico, Graduate Student Conductor

3. Children’s March G. Schirmer . . . . . . . . . . . Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882 - 1961) 7:09

Symphony for Band Edward Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edward Green (b. 1951) 4. I. Allegro moderato 7:39 5. II. Adagio dolente 5:18 6. III. Intermezzo-giovale e scherzando 7:00 7. IV. Allegro deciso 8:05

*Premiere Recording

8. Valdres March Boosey Hawkes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Johannes Hanssen (1874 - 1967) 4:00Ms. Julia Federico, Graduate Student Conductor

9. The Sinfonians Piedmont Music Company . . . . . . . . . . . . Clifton Williams (1923-1976) 5:07Mr. Graham Kerick, Graduate Student Conductor

10. Rest Manhattan Beach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frank Ticheli (b. 1958) 7:10

11. Requiem and Celebration B&P Music Publishers . . . . . . . Adam F. Brennan (b. 1964) 5:54Featuring the MU Festival Chorus, Dr. Peggy Dettwiler, Conductor

*Premiere Recording

12. Nobles of the Mystic Shrine Alfred Publishing . . . . John Philip Sousa (1854 – 1932) 3:11Mr. Graham Kerick, Graduate Student Conductor

MarkRecords•10815BodineRoad•Clarence,NY14031-0406Ph:716759-2600•www.markcustom.com•P201450836-MCD

M a n s f i e l d U n i v e r s i t y C o n c e r t W i n d E n s e m b l eD r. A d a m F. B r e n n a n , C o n d u c t o r

Recorded at Steadman Theatre, Mansfield University

Recorded on: November 16th, 2013

Recording Engineer: Fred Betschen

Mastered at Mark Custom Recording, Clarence, NY

Producer: Adam F. Brennan

Associate Producers: Jeff Jacobsen, Theodore Lentz, Julia Federico, Graham Kerick

Graphic Design: Jason Boldt, MarkArt

Concert Wind Ensemble PersonnelPiccoloSamantha Dzuranin

FluteDerek SmilowskiEmily KaplanAshley PetersSarah Kois

OboeJenna AldermanWhitney White (Eng. Hrn)

Eb Soprano ClarinetMolly Maroney

Bb ClarinetEmily McKeeJenna PalmatierAmber ScrutonJacob KerbaughChelsi ReedJay BiernatMary Capilitan-Polanco

Basset HornJulia Federico

Bb Bass ClarinetEmily Augenti

Eb Contra Alto ClarinetRachel Smith

BassoonScott ChamberlainShelby Dunning

Alto SaxophoneKatie SabolMike Gorzelsky

Tenor SaxophoneRichard Pollock

Baritone SaxophonePatti Spisack

French HornsVictoria McNameeSara PetokasTom FishKadeem CalhounDiana Allen

Bb TrumpetBryan CarrKyle Muldoon

Bb CornetBrandon ClemsonBrielle ShermanAlyssa KennedyBrandon Houtz

TrombonesBen DeLongT. J. HarrisAndrew MengesMike Carson

EuphoniumNick BestAaron Shafer

TubaDillon BrouseTacie Tews

String BassLukas Fogel

PianoKarina Meiklejohn

PercussionGraham KerickChristopher MedyckiTanya TewsMike IorioColeman LidleJon Ceresini

PROGRAM NOTESSymphonic Overture James Barnes (b. 1949)

Professor James Barnes teaches music composition, orchestration, arranging and wind band history/repertoire courses. At Kansas University he served as Staff Arranger, Assistant, and later, Associate Director of Bands for 27 years. He recently completed his thirty-fifth year of teaching at KU.

His numerous publications for concert band and orchestra are extensively performed world-wide. His works (including six symphonies and two concertos) have been performed at such venues as Tanglewood, Boston Symphony Hall, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow and the Tokyo Metropolitan Concert Hall.

Barnes twice received the coveted American Bandmasters Association Ostwald Award for outstanding contemporary wind band music. He has been the recipient of numerous ASCAP Awards for composers of serious music, the Kappa Kappa Psi Distinguished Service to Music Medal and the Bohumil Makovsky Award for Outstanding College Band Conductors. Barnes was recently awarded the first annual BMI Award for Excellence in Teaching Creativity from the Music Educators National Conference. The world-famous Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra has recorded three compact discs of his music. Southern Music Company has released three albums of his compositions, including Symphonies, a double CD set featuring four of his symphonies for band.

Over the years, Mr. Barnes has been commissioned to compose works for all five of the major American military bands in Washington, DC. A recent CD release by the United States Air Force Band features two different works by James Barnes: Dreamers, written to commemorate the 100th anniversary of powered flight by the Wright brothers and Wild Blue Yonder, commissioned to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the United States Air Force.

Mr. Barnes has traveled extensively as a guest composer, conductor and lecturer throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, Taiwan and Singapore. He has guest conducted in Japan over 35 times. He is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), the American Bandmasters Association and numerous other professional organizations and societies.

Symphonic Overture opens with an impressive maestoso brass fanfare. It soon breaks into a smoothly flowing allegro vivo, with subtle punctuations in the brass. After a lyrical slower section, it returns to allegro with a brilliant, brassy finish. (Notes from the composer’s web site)

Festival Chorus Dr. Peggy Dettwiler, Conductor

Sopranos Erin Bemis Shanice BrandonBobbie Brignola Carolyn Crow Clarissa Daghita Meghan Fuqua Sarah Haley Marjorie Harris Jeanne Kagle Nancy Kepner Angie Kilyan Sharon Kleindienst Jessica Lyles Yvonne Maris Kate Means Sara Petokas Regina Reese Jamela Reifsnyder Liz Salatino Julie Schlosser Michelle Smith Nicole Smyth Alexis Snyder Liana Stinson Paige TerwilligerTacie Tews Riley Thomas Taylor Timchack Laura Weidner Marcia West Margaret West Barbara J. Winters Margaret Wood

Altos Elis Bagg Shelby Bartlett Joan K. Berresford Jen Bolinger Tabitha Carter Maria Cruz Patricia Darrow Altos ContinuedNicole Dgien Ariana Emenheiser Carolyn Farrell Vicki Fensterbush Lilace GuignardJamie Herman Yiqi Huang Mattie Joyner Erin Kearney Katlyn Kelly Danielle King Danielle Knoeppel Alexandra Kobrick Jane Lisowski Ashley Morey Ke Mu Linda Murray Tasha Pusavage Hannah Powers Allison Rosito Pingyi Song Marianna Stahl Deanna Stevens Gloria Troost Lacey Vanderpoel Brianna Walker Cheryl Walters Megan Wheeland Kristi Williams Samantha Wool

TenorsMatt Anson A.Austin Boroch Jesse Carr Aaron Ferster Mackenzie Franssen Rob Garrison John Golden Colin Ingalls Jeffrey Johnson Joseph Jannotta Lare Mike LombardoKen Means Eli Sauls Tenors ContinuedDale Scrivener Jake Wilson Raymond Zayas

Basses Geoffrey Baker Sean Bergold Benjamin BloodgoodMichael Carson Emory Davies Michael Florkowski W. Reece Havrilla Gavin Herman Robbie Hewlett Malcolm Layaou Brandon Lepley Brian Parry Steven Shade Aaron Shafer Ryan Stanley Kenny Unger Nicholas Wathen Mark Weisen Thomas Wierbowski Nathan Wilcox Peng Zhang

TWO ELEVEN

O Magnum Mysterium Morten Lauridsen (b. 1943)/arr. H. Robert Reynolds

O Magnum Mysterium is a responsorial chant from the Matins of Christmas. Over time number of composers have reworked the chant into a contemporary setting, among them Morten Lauridsen whose version was arranged for band by H. Robert Reynolds. A traditional choral piece, the original Latin text translates as:

O great mystery,and wonderful sacrament,that animals should see the new-born Lord,lying in a manger!Blessed is the Virgin whose wombwas worthy to bearChrist the Lord.Alleluia!

Children’s March Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882 - 1961)

Percy Grainger (1882-1961) was a piano prodigy turned composer who was known for his strange personal habits, his colorful prose, and his equally unusual music – his many admirers today still recognize that he possessed “the supreme virtue of never being dull.” Born in Australia, he began studying piano at an early age. He came to the U. S. at the outbreak of World War I and enlisted as an Army bandsman, becoming an American citizen in 1918. He went on to explore the frontiers of music with his idiosyncratic folk song settings, his lifelong advocacy for the saxophone, and his Free Music machines that predated electronic synthesizers. His many masterworks for winds include Lincolnshire Posy, Irish Tune from County Derry, and Molly on the Shore.

Children’s March was written between 1916 and 1919, during the flurry of activity that produced several of Grainger’s miniature masterworks for winds. As with most of his music, Grainger wrote and orchestrated Children’s March with a very specific vision, but also with a widely flexible instrumentation. While this flexibility is not unusual in Grainger’s work, two features the orchestration of Children’s March set it apart from his contemporaneous works. First is the prominent inclusion of the piano, which was then unusual. Second are the two 4-part vocal passages in the piece that are intended to be sung by the members of the band.

Furthermore, Children’s March is a rare instance of Grainger using original material. Most of his other enduring works were based on existing folk melodies, but Grainger devised his own–possibly his most effective original tune–in this case.

These program notes from the Carson-Newman College bands elaborate on the instrumentation (and more) of Children’s March:

Dr. Brennan’s professional memberships include the College Band Director’s National Association, NAfME, Pennsylvania Music Educator’s Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia National Music Fraternity, Tau Beta Sigma and Kappa Kappa Psi Band Fraternities (honorary member), and the Autism Society of America. An advocate for autistic children, Dr. Brennan and his wife Katherine are actively engaged in promoting autism awareness and educational rights for special needs children and serve on the Board of Directors for the Tioga County Autism Coalition (TASC). Dr. Brennan resides in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania with his wife Katie, and three children, Max, Ian and Maggie.

About Mansfield Universityand Mansfield University BandsMansfield University is located in the mountains of north central Pennsylvania and is one of 14 universities in the State System of Higher Education. About 3,300 students attend the rural campus which offers over 70 degree options including degrees in music performance, music education, music business, a bachelor of arts degree in music, and a master of arts in music degree with tracks in music education, instrumental conducting and choral conducting. Founded in 1857, Mansfield was the first state institution to grant a certificate to teach music and has a long tradition of musical excellence. The music department is located in the Will George Butler Music Center, which contains Steadman Theatre, two large rehearsal halls, 55 practice rooms and state-of-the-art electronic facilities. North Hall, the newly renovated Victorian building on campus, houses one of the finest libraries in the East, including an outstanding music library.

The Music Department is staffed by a full-time faculty compliment of 19 and four adjunct artist-teachers. The department enrolls over 240 undergraduate and 30 graduate students and is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music. The university is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

Mansfield University welcomes student inquiries for all degree programs. Visit our web site at www.music.mansfield.edu to find more information or contact the music department at (570) 662-4710.

The Mansfield University Concert Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Adam F. Brennan, has been hailed as an outstanding performing ensemble, richly sensitive, musically compelling, and deeply passionate in their interpretation of cutting edge wind and percussion repertoire. The ensemble consists of 49 auditioned performers from the MU music department and university. The award winning Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Mr. Dan Foster, is a select group of 20 musicians. These groups record and perform annually on campus and throughout the Eastern region on tours, at conventions and special events. The band program also maintains a large symphonic band, an authentic brass band, a jazz lab band, an outstanding marching band of over 200 members and a basketball band. In addition, numerous chamber ensembles in the wind and percussion area are available to interested and capable musicians.

TEN THREE

In Children’s March, Grainger displays his quality skills for scoring in this light and carefree work. Scored for band in 1919, Children’s March had roots within a piano solo which Grainger had composed between 1916 and 1918. At the time it was rescored, Grainger was a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Artillery Band and, thus, the march reflects an orchestration to take advantage of that group’s instrumentation. In composition, Grainger was of the opinion that it is in the lower octaves of the band (and from the larger members of the reed families) that the greatest expressivity is to be looked for. Consequently we find in his Children’s March a more liberal and highly specialized use of such instruments as the bassoons, English horn, bass clarinet and the lower saxophones than is usual in writing for military band. The march was first performed by the renowned Goldman Band in 1919 and was also recorded in its original form by the same band with the composer conducting. It was dedicated to “my playmate beyond the hills,” believed to be Karen Holton, a Scandinavian beauty with whom the composer corresponded for eight years but would not marry because of his possessive mother’s jealousy. (Notes from Dr. Andy Pease’s Wind Band Blog)

Symphony for Band Edward Green (b. 1951)*

The Symphony for Band by Ed Green was commissioned by the Mansfield University Concert Wind Ensemble, and its director, Adam Brennan, as part of a consortium of thirteen of America’s leading university and conservatory bands. The consortium was organized by Mark Scatterday of the Eastman School of Music and Andy Pease, the director of the Columbia University Wind Ensemble.

The symphony has four movements. The first is an Allegro moderato, with a broad, quiet opening and climaxes of great power. It is in sonata form and has an over-all sense of joy and enthusiasm. The second movement, Adagio dolente, by sharp contrast, brings in a sustained note of tragic feeling. To intensify the contrast, since the opening movement was in Eb major—a highly resonant key for band instruments—this movement is in A minor: as far away in tonality as one can go.

This symphony, like all of Edward Green’s music, is rich in melody. The melodic verve continues in the third movement. Titled Intermezzo, it is in rondo form, and is filled with scherzando elements. The humor ranges from that which evokes a gentle smile, to that which—through sparkling wit—brings laughter. There is no lack of unabashed slapstick, either! (The composer, a great fan of Prokofiev, believes that humor and seriousness, playfulness and heartfelt lyricism, are meant to be close allies.)

And here, in the drama and friendliness of opposites, we reach the most important thing about Edward Green’s music. Not only has he been deeply inspired by such modern masters as Prokofiev, Ellington, Bartok, but—even more centrally—by the path-breaking philosophic work of the great American poet and scholar Eli Siegel, the founder of Aesthetic Realism, who, in this grand principle of aesthetics, explained how art and life are truly related: “All beauty is a making one of opposites, and the making one of opposites is what we are going after in ourselves.”

From the Endless Mountains, Tenebrae, which features the world premiere of Dr. Brennan’s composition for band entitled Tenebrae (Dark Hours), American Portraits, North Central Winds, Concord!, Resonance, Sun and Shade, Ecstatic Vision, Critical Speed: the Music of Greg Danner, Vol. II and Malachi: A Celebration of a Special Life. Dr. Brennan can also be heard as a percussionist on Twilight Offering Music released by the University of Oklahoma Percussion Ensembles, and as a conductor on Western Illinois University’s Fantasy Variations. His compositions and recordings can be found on www.allthingsbands.com.

Dr. Brennan’s responsibilities include administrating the band program, coordinating the instrumental conducting graduate and undergraduate programs and conducting the Concert Wind Ensemble, the school’s top wind and percussion ensemble. Dr. Brennan also directs the Marching Band, The Spirit and The Pride of Pennsylvania! where he writes all musical arrangements and coordinates the staff. In addition to these ensembles, he teaches courses in percussion techniques and instrumental conducting to both undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Brennan has also served as the percussion ensemble arranger and pit ensemble consultant for the World Champion Empire Statesmen Drum and Bugle Corps. He was caption head of the DCI Class-A 60 Champion Northmen Drum and Bugle Corps, and was the artistic director and arranger of the International Marine Tattoo of Rochester, New York. He is twice a past president of the Pennsylvania Collegiate Bandmaster’s Association, has been involved in twelve world premieres at Mansfield University, has received numerous invitations to state conventions to present papers, clinics and conduct performing ensembles, is actively involved in commissioning projects both locally and regionally, and has been commissioned numerous times to create original works for wind ensemble and symphonic bands.

From 1989-1995, Dr. Brennan was Associate Director of Bands and Percussion at Western Illinois University. Prior to this, he served as Director of Bands at Kankakee Valley High School in Wheatfield, IN. An active composer and clinician with over 150 arrangements and compositions and over 200 guest conducting and clinical engagements, Dr. Brennan travels extensively serving as guest conductor and clinician at festivals and conventions. In November of 2005 Dr. Brennan was awarded The Silver Baton from Kappa Kappa Psi for having maintained a record of excellence and continuous quality of service to bands, band members, and instrumental music education. In April of 2003, Dr. Brennan received Mansfield University’s Bertram Francis Award from Kappa Kappa Psi for outstanding contributions to the MU Band program. In October of 2002 he was honored by Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia with the Orpheus Award for significant and lasting contributions to the cause of music in America and in 2007 he was elected for membership in the prestigious American Bandmaster’s Association. He was elected as Employee of the Year at Mansfield University in 2010 and in February of 2011 he was honored as the Outstanding Fine Arts Alumnus of Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Il. Most recently, Dr. Brennan has had two of his recording projects deemed Grammy Eligible for the 2013-14 Grammy Awards consideration. These include Critical Speed: the Music of Greg Danner, Vol. II, in the categories of Album of the Year, Best Engineered Album, Producer of the Year, and Best Orchestra Performance and; Malachi: A Celebration of a Special Life, in the categories of Album of the Year, Best Orchestral Performance, and Best Contemporary Classical Composition for his own title track work.

FOUR NINE

Dr. Green had the honor, in the late 1970s to study with Eli Siegel, and his scholarly work, as well as his music, is grounded in what he learned. His Ph.D. was earned from New York University with a thesis on Haydn and Mozart based on the principles of Aesthetic Realism. Edward Green is a Fulbright Senior Specialist in American Music, has been a professor at Manhattan School of Music since 1984, teaching both Composition and Music History, and is on the faculty of the Aesthetic Realism Foundation in New York. Some of his scholarly writings—and mp3s of several of his compositions—are present on his website: www.edgreenmusic.org. Among these later is his Grammy-nominated Concertino for Piano and Chamber Orchestra.

Returning to the Symphony for Band, its fourth and concluding movement brings us again to the key of Eb major, and like the opening movement it is also in sonata form. It is like that movement, too, in its over-all atmosphere of joy. Now the joy goes even deeper, and the rhythmic impulse is even stronger, even as in the secondary theme of this movement heartfelt yearning is present, too.

Metrically, this finale is largely in ¾ time, and it moves with a vigorous, confident spirit. As the symphony ends, it shifts into almost ecstatically “high-gear,” and concludes with a blazingly loud and rapid coda. (Notes by the composer)

Edward Green lives in New York City with his wife, the esteemed actor and singer Carrie Wilson, who also teaches at the Aesthetic Realism Foundation. He is active not only in the field of concert music, but also in the worlds of theater, dance, and film music, including as composer-in-residence at Imagery Film, Ltd. Many of Dr. Green’s works are available on CD, including a Trumpet Concerto, (Albany Records), a Concerto for Alto Sax and Strings (Arizona University Recordings), and the already mentioned Piano Concertino (North/South Consonance Records).

Valdres March Johannes Hanssen (1874 - 1967)

Valdres is one of the most famous marches ever composed. The fact that it is evocative and expressive of its land of birth, Norway, is also significant. While march enthusiasts have typically been drawn to the vastly larger and better known repertoires of the United States, Germany, England, and Spain, Valdres remains a greatly loved petite Norwegian tone-poem in march-time. Its composer, Johann Hanssen, began his career as a tenor-horn player in the Oslo Military Band in 1900. In 1903-1904, he composed Valdres.

The opening tune (played in this edition by the cornet) is a bugle call from the Valdres Battalion; Valdres is a valley is southern Norway. The second subject is an old tune for hardanger-fiddle; the trio is a pentatonic tune based upon Norwegian folk music.

This new edition collates the various versions that Johannes Hanssen created throughout his many years as conductor and composer. In his later years, he adapted the opening tune for clarinet solo, as it also appears in his adaptation for full symphony orchestra. Conductors will also note that the arranger has brought the orchestration “indoors” from the parade ground and the street. These changes reflect both Hanssen’s various other versions for concert band and for orchestra. (Notes by the arranger)

Requiem and Celebration reflects aspects of the Requiem Mass, and is specifically inspired by the Introit or Requiem, the Kyrie, the Angus Dei and the In Paradisum. While beginning with a somber and serious mood, the solemnity of the music gives way to a celebration of praise and thanksgiving. The first half of the work uses Latin text and is set reminiscent of the traditional chant of the Catholic Church. This gives way to a shifting metric and highly percussively driven section which features an English text celebrating the souls of the departed singing praise to God (In Paradisum). The work concludes with a hymn-like statement borrowed from the opening minor fanfare, but now is in major. A brief coda closes the work, returning the exuberant theme of the second half. Requiem and Celebration is offered as a prayer for an end to violence and in celebration of the lives lost during the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in December of 2012. (Notes by the composer)

Nobles of the Mystic Shrine John Philip Sousa (1854 – 1932)

John Philip Sousa’s Nobles of the Mystic Shrine was published in 1923. This concert-oriented march celebrates Sousa’s membership in the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Shriners). His local chapter hosted the national convention in 1923 in Washington, D.C., and Sousa conducted a band of 6,200 members in Griffith Stadium, the largest group he ever conducted. Contemporary versions of the Janissary Band (Turkish royal bodyguards) are a vital part of colorful Shrine marching units, and this march was intended to recreate the musical style of this Turkish music. The “Jingling Johnny” or Turkish Crescent (a marching instrument with a pole hung with jingling bells), triangle, tambourine, and a heavy bass drum are highlighted, and we hear sudden fortissimo outbursts in the first section. This march is unique in that it includes a part for the harp. (Notes by Edward Harris)

About the ConductorDr. Adam F. Brennan has been Director of Bands and a Professor in the music department at Mansfield University since 1995. Dr. Brennan served as Chair of the Music Department for six years and has held administrative responsibilities while at Mansfield University involving assessment, strategic planning and leadership education. He created and coordinated the Master of Arts in Music with a Concentration in Instrumental Conducting. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in music education and a Master of Arts degree in theory and composition, with an emphasis in composition, from Western Illinois University. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in instrumental conducting from the University of Oklahoma where he studied with Dr. William K. Wakefield.

Dr. Brennan has recorded numerous compact discs with the Mansfield University Bands including Strike Up the Bands!, This Could Be the Start of Something Big, Music

EIGHT FIVE

The Sinfonians J. Clifton Williams (1923-1976)

James Clifton Williams Jr. was born in Traskwood, Arkansas, in 1923. Despite the financial difficulties of the depression of the early 1930’s, Williams fared well in school, learning the piano, mellophone, and French horn. In his senior class of 600, he was voted the most outstanding in artistry, talent, and versatility. In 1942, he joined the Army Air Corps as a bandsman, serving as drum major and composing works at every opportunity. After the war, he attended Louisiana State University and went on to earn his M.M. degree at the Eastman School of Music in 1949. He taught at the University of Texas at Austin for seventeen years. In the 10 years before his death in 1976, he served as chairman of the department of theory and composition at the University of Miami, where he was influenced by and became close friends with Frederick Fennell.

The Sinfonians is a concert style march written by Clifton Williams. This march was commissioned by the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America. It opens with an extended fanfare introduction before the horns state the familiar Sinfonian theme: “Hail Sinfonia! Come, brothers, hail!” The words are by Charles Lutton set to the music of Arthur Sullivan. The melody is then completed, embellished, and extended in the style of the composer. The work is dedicated to Archie N. Jones, former president of the fraternity and later director of that organization’s foundation. Williams conducted the first performance at the fraternity’s national convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, in July 1960. (Notes from Windband.org)

Rest Frank Ticheli (b. 1958)

Frank Ticheli’s music has been described as “optimistic and thoughtful” (Los Angeles Times), “lean and muscular” (The New York Times), “brilliantly effective” (Miami Herald) and “powerful, deeply felt crafted with impressive flair and an ear for striking instrumental colors” (South Florida Sun-Sentinel). Ticheli joined the faculty of the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music in 1991, where he is professor of composition. From 1991 to 1998, Ticheli was composer in residence of the Pacific Symphony, and he still enjoys a close working relationship with that orchestra and their music director, Carl St. Clair.

Ticheli is well known for his works for concert band, many of which have become standards in the repertoire. Ticheli is the winner of the 2006 NBA/William D. Revelli Memorial Band Composition Contest for his Symphony No. 2. Regarding his work, the composer states:

Created in 2010, Rest is a concert band adaptation of my work for SATB chorus, There Will Be Rest, which was commissioned in 1999 by the Pacific Chorale, John Alexander, conductor. The choral work, published by Hinshaw Music Publishers, is dedicated to the memory of Cole Carsan St. Clair, the son of my dear friends, conductor Carl St. Clair and his wife, Susan.

Rest was commissioned by Russell Mikkelson and family in memory of his father, Elling Mikkelson. In making this version, I preserved almost everything from the original: harmony, dynamics, even the original registration. I also endeavored to preserve carefully the fragile beauty and quiet dignity suggested by Sara Teasdale’s words.

However, with the removal of the text, I felt free to enhance certain aspects of the music, most strikingly with the addition of a sustained climax on the main theme. This extended climax allows the band version to transcend the expressive boundaries of a straight note-for-note setting of the original. Thus, both versions are intimately tied and yet independent of one another, each possessing its own strengths and unique qualities. (Notes from the Composer’s web site)

Requiem and Celebration Adam F. Brennan (b. 1964)

Requiem and Celebration was written between December 1 and December 27, 2012. The work was suggested by a former student, Cristin Eick, who was serving as the Director of Bands at Bethlehem Catholic High School in Pennsylvania. Mrs. Eick invited the composer and his wife to guest conduct the Diocesan concert band and choirs and asked if the composer might consider creating something for the groups to do together. The offer was irresistible, since the composer and his wife had never had an opportunity to conduct together on a concert. The work however, took and unexpected turn during this period when the world learned of the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. So deeply troubling and so close to Christmas, the composer reached an impasse in the creation of this combined band and chorus work. Dr. Brennan writes:

I was focused on writing something to end the upcoming concert and wanted it to be joyful and celebratory, but the tragedy in Connecticut kept pulling my thoughts away. Here it was, just about Christmas, and so many families would not have their precious children with them. How does anyone cope with that? I could only hold my three children tighter. Imagining how I might feel if it were my children in the news was far too painful. I know of no way to cope with such loss except to turn to faith and seek solace in prayer, and to turn to music. So I scrapped a good portion of what I had written, and over the next several days, seeing so many funerals on the news, I began to reflect on the Requiem Mass.

I knew that I did not want to compose an elegiac work - I could not since I did not know the victims personally. But clearly many of us were struggling, each family dealing with this horrific event as best they could. So I changed the text of the choral aspect of the work that I had begun and chose not only to focus on the Requiem, but to focus on my family’s belief that the souls of those departed were already singing with the Angels in Heaven. For many of us, funerals are times of great sorrow and loss, but they are also a time to celebrate the lives of those who have left us behind. It is in that light that I wrote Requiem and Celebration. For me it is a reminder of the power of faith and the brief but beautiful lives that touched the world in this terrible event. I pray there are never more events of this kind.

SIX SEVEN